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Sean Payton marches on with new outlook

METAIRIE, La. — It is the end of an evening walk-through for the New Orleans Saints, and six guys have stayed on the field for a passing competition (and maybe a little trash-talking). Starting quarterback

Sean Payton marches on with new outlook

METAIRIE, La. — It is the end of an evening walk-through for the New Orleans Saints, and six guys have stayed on the field for a passing competition (and maybe a little trash-talking).

Starting quarterback Drew Brees is joined by backups Luke McCown, Seneca Wallace and Ryan Griffin — and two other surprise entrants, coach Sean Payton and his 13-year-old son, Connor.

The rules: Each must hit two barrels from 10 yards, drill the crossbar from 20 yards deep, and — while sprinting left and right — hit the goal-line pylon on that side. Lastly, stand on the goal line and take a 10-yard, free-throw type jump shots into a garbage can at the back of the end zone.

In the end, it's no contest. Brees wins by hitting everything. Payton, a former Eastern Illinois standout who played three games with the Chicago Bears' 1987 strike team, drills the first two barrels but misses the crossbar and short-hops a pylon. When it's over, he's smiling.

"That was fun," he said. "That's a spirited, tough competition."

It's the kind of comraderie Payton missed while serving a year-long banishment for his role in the Saints' Bountygate scandal. Suspended by Commissioner Roger Goodell, Payton was prohibited from talking to his players or coaches. He couldn't reach out to former colleagues around the league to talk football or offer best wishes if they were going through tough times in their personal lives.

"Couldn't talk to anyone in the NFL at all," Payton said.

Sounds like prison, someone said.

"But you can talk to people in prison," Payton replies.

Linebacker Jonathan Vilma, whose year-long suspension was vacated by a 3-man appeals panel and then former commissioner Paul Tagliabue, can empathize: "Sean couldn't even call me when I was suspended. And I couldn't call him. Losing that freedom to communicate, it was like prison," he said.

Now Payton is back, possibly the biggest addition any team made this offseason, given how the Saints (7-9 last season) won a league-best 37 games from 2009 to 2011 under their coach, who is 62-34 overall.

Payton, 49, guided his team to a Super Bowl XVIX title while lifting the spirits of fans who had been impacted by Hurricane Katrina. Like his adopted city, Payton insists he has come back stronger. With time on his hands, he rewrote the playbook on both sides of the ball, took stock of the roster and coaching staff and got into the best shape of his life with a CrossFit training regimen.

"I'm stronger, tougher, a little more hardened, more cynical," Payton said. "The first five, six weeks (of the suspension), I was furious. Then I was able to move past it. I knew I couldn't hold onto that resentment or I'd go crazy. So I tried to spend more time with my children.

"I told the team, 'If I can move on from the suspension, then, I expect everyone else to, also.'"

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Josh Bellamy (8) is congratulated by tight end Kevin Brock (46) during the second half of the game against the Green Bay Packers at Arrowhead Stadium. (Photo: Denny Medley, USA TODAY Sports)

New York Jets tight end Konrad Reuland (88) fumbles after being hit by Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Emmanuel Acho (53) during the first half of a preseason game at Metlife Stadium. (Photo: Joe Camporeale, USA TODAY Sports)

San Diego Chargers running back Ryan Mathews (24) leaps towards the end zone prior to scoring a touchdown in the first quarter against the Arizona Cardinals during a preseason game at University of Phoenix Stadium. (Photo: Mark J. Rebilas, USA TODAY Sports)

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald (11) is tackled by San Diego Chargers cornerback Marcus Gilchrist (38) in the second quarter during a preseason game at University of Phoenix Stadium. (Photo: Mark J. Rebilas, USA TODAY Sports)

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew (32) finds a hole in the Philadelphia Eagles defense during the first quarter of their game at EverBank Field. (Photo: Phil Sears, USA TODAY Sports)

New York Jets quarterback Geno Smith (7) scrambles in his own end zone out of bounds against the New York Giants during the second quarter of a preseason game at MetLife Stadium. (Photo: Brad Penner, USA TODAY Sports)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Brian Leonard (30) is stopped at the one yard line by Miami Dolphins inside linebacker Dannell Ellerbe (59) in the first quarter at Sun Life Stadium. (Photo: Robert Mayer, USA TODAY Sports)

New England Patriots tight end Zach Sudfeld (44) celebrates a two point conversion with wide receiver Josh Boyce (82) during the first quarter against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Gillette Stadium. (Photo: Stew Milne, USA TODAY Sports)

Cleveland Browns tight end Jordan Cameron (84) makes a catch for a touchdown in the first quarter of a preseason game against the Detroit Lions at FirstEnergy Stadium. (Photo: Andrew Weber, USA TODAY Sports)

New York Jets tight end Jeff Cumberland (87) celebrates with Mark Sanchez (6) after catching a pass for a touchdown in the first quarter of a preseason game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. (Photo: Andrew Weber, USA TODAY Sports)

Detroit Lions wide receiver Matt Willis (12) catches a pass in the end zone for a touchdown while being defended by New York Jets running back Chad Spann (30) in the second quarter of a preseason game at Ford Field. (Photo: Andrew Weber, USA TODAY Sports)

New England Patriots running back Shane Vereen (34) makes a touchdown catch against the Philadelphia Eagles during the first half of a preseason game at Lincoln Financial Field. (Photo: Joe Camporeale, USA TODAY Sports)

San Diego Chargers running back Ryan Mathews (24) jumps over the line for a first down during the first half against the Seattle Seahawks at Qualcomm Stadium. (Photo: Christopher Hanewinckel, USA TODAY Sports)

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) scrambles out of the pocket for a short gain during the first half against the San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium. (Photo: Christopher Hanewinckel, USA TODAY Sports)

Washington Redskins wide receiver Leonard Hankerson (85) dives into the end zone to score a touchdown against the Tennessee Titans during a preseason game at LP Field. (Photo: Frederick Breedon, Getty Images)

Dallas Cowboys running back Phillip Tanner (34) runs with the ball after losing his helmet in the second quarter of the 2013 Pro Football Hall of Fame game against the Miami Dolphins at Fawcett Stadium. (Photo: Andrew Weber, USA TODAY Sports)

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He got that advice from his lifeline — Bill Parcells. Payton was the Dallas Cowboys' assistant head coach and passing-game coordinator under Parcells from 2003 to 2005. Parcells' message was simple: Leave the past in the past. And start over. Parcells said he shared a lesson he learned from his late father, Charles.

"We all go to dark places at times in our lives, and some people can't ever dig themselves out," said Parcells, the Hall of Fame coach who works for ESPN. "It's what you do after that counts."

Advice like that is why Payton called Parcells on Father's Day.

"Both my parents are deceased, so Bill knows how I feel about him," Payton said. "It was huge to be able to talk to Bill all last year. The discussions concerned the defense and things we saw when we watched Saints games from afar. But when we got closer to the season, the conversations turned to re-entry — coming back and coaching like I had just been hired.

"The idea that, 'Hey, you're returning and we'll be right back to playoff form' is really poor thinking. We've got to improve in a lot of areas or we'll have the same results — maybe worse."

Days after he was reinstated, Payton fired defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and eventually hired controversial Rob Ryan, who had been fired by the Cowboys. The Saints junked the 4-3 scheme that allowed a league-record 7,042 yards last season for a more aggressive, 3-4 approach.

SWAGGER IS BACK

But Payton has installed more than a new defense. With the retooled playbook and an emphasis on the running game, there is, Brees said, "a new Saints identity."

"Sean comes back a better coach because this was the first time he got to see the big picture from afar, amid all the controversy and craziness of his suspension," Brees said. "Sean is a glass-half-full guy.

"He's going to make the best of a bad, tough, bitter situation. He came back focused with a plan."

And the determination to implement that plan.

During a recent practice, Payton prowled from drill to drill, eyes flashing intently beneath his white visor. The Saints had been sluggish in a 17-13 preseason-opening win against the Kansas City Chiefs.

"You don't see Sean screaming, yelling. Yet, he gives you a look and you know exactly what he wants," right tackle Zach Strief said. "You realize 'he's not messing around. Sean just has a way of pushing us that makes us a better team."

Payton called himself out for his rusty play-calling, which forced the Saints to burn two timeouts. But he made it clear to the team that the focus should be on winning, not payback.

"The first thing Sean told us when he returned was, 'Fellas, we won't get to where we're trying to go if we continue to focus on last year,'" safety Roman Harper said. "It can't be the Saints trying to get back. Or Sean trying to get revenge on the league.

"Our focus is on our Sept. 8 opener against the Atlanta Falcons. And week by week, on our opponent. They don't care about what happened to us."

Imagine what would befall the New England Patriots if they lost Bill Belichick for a year.

"I really did believe we were going to have a good season last year because of the program that was in place," said general manager Mickey Loomis, who served an eight-game suspension.

"But it comes down to the finest details Sean has an eye for — accountability, motivation, the notebooks he filled."

He is back to doing what he loves, coaching.

"Sean suffered tremendously last year," said his close friend Jon Gruden, ESPN analyst and former Oakland Raiders and Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach. "He pours his whole life into that organization. He couldn't go to stadiums. But I don't think they took his TV set away. He studied coaching trends, zone blitzes, how to defend the read-option. I'm just glad he got his life back."

So how many wins is Payton's return worth?

"Shoot, I don't know the number," said Curtis Johnson, Payton's former receivers coach, now coaching Tulane. "But he can bring that team back to win a Super Bowl. Sean is the heartbeat of that program. Their swagger is back now with Sean."